Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and - Joined
- Oct 16, 2025
- Messages
- 4
- Points
- 1
- City
- Grand Island
- State - Country
- NE - USA
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.5 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
I have lurked at various Ranger forums for some time, figured I'd join and chat. I have a 1998 XLT Supercab 2x4 manual transmission with the 2.5l SOHC. Pretty basic model. Old girl is approaching 360K miles. I got her in 2005 with 180K for $1000 (small hail damage and a trade in of a Chrysler New Yorker lol). For about 15 years I just fixed things as they broke. When she got to 300 k I started doing a better job of maintenance, etc.
Anyway, the last two years have not been the best personally and I have started channeling my issues into keeping this girl going as long as possible. The engine is not too shabby.
So I've been redoing basically the whole suspension this summer. Put in a new rack (busted seal and this version of the Ranger might have the easiest rack replacement in all of automotive history), shocks, sway links, doing the springs and arms next weekend, bushings basically everywhere I can find them, rear shackle/hanger and I think my front body mounts are beyond shot. I'm also cutting out the rust and then going to weld (with help) and paint. I'm in Nebraska so the rust is bad but not as bad as other parts of the country. One rear fender, the cab corners, and the bed corners...all relatively minor.
I also did a bunch of little things like replacing the cruise control buttons (new ones don't work lol but at least it looks nice), new headlight assemblies. Also the usual upkeep, plugs/wires/coils, cleaning up the air intake system, maybe mess with EGR (to clear codes). Gotta repair the radio, but honestly don't mind the silence.
By far the biggest task this summer was the upstream O2 sensor. Took a month lol. Snapped it off, then snapped a cheap extractor in the snapped off sensor. Oh boy. And no, I was not about to pull the exhaust manifold. So I used a mini angle die grinder to burr out the extractor, heat and patience, finally manually hacksawed to the thread and chipped it out. A fresh tap and bingo, new O2. Do not recommend. For three weeks I drove around with an extractor snugged in there to plug it while working out the busted sensor.
Anyway, everything but the block has been dealt with at some point. Timing belt, charging system (bout ready for another starter), coolant system. I do have to find an AC leak and/or malfunction and fix that. But overall, she's good. Starts and runs and isn't a noisy wreck.
I wanted to thank everyone here. I've lurked and stolen so much (not a mechanic by any stretch, I'm a teacher) and I could not have done any of this without forums like this where people share. So thank you!
Anyway, the last two years have not been the best personally and I have started channeling my issues into keeping this girl going as long as possible. The engine is not too shabby.
So I've been redoing basically the whole suspension this summer. Put in a new rack (busted seal and this version of the Ranger might have the easiest rack replacement in all of automotive history), shocks, sway links, doing the springs and arms next weekend, bushings basically everywhere I can find them, rear shackle/hanger and I think my front body mounts are beyond shot. I'm also cutting out the rust and then going to weld (with help) and paint. I'm in Nebraska so the rust is bad but not as bad as other parts of the country. One rear fender, the cab corners, and the bed corners...all relatively minor.
I also did a bunch of little things like replacing the cruise control buttons (new ones don't work lol but at least it looks nice), new headlight assemblies. Also the usual upkeep, plugs/wires/coils, cleaning up the air intake system, maybe mess with EGR (to clear codes). Gotta repair the radio, but honestly don't mind the silence.
By far the biggest task this summer was the upstream O2 sensor. Took a month lol. Snapped it off, then snapped a cheap extractor in the snapped off sensor. Oh boy. And no, I was not about to pull the exhaust manifold. So I used a mini angle die grinder to burr out the extractor, heat and patience, finally manually hacksawed to the thread and chipped it out. A fresh tap and bingo, new O2. Do not recommend. For three weeks I drove around with an extractor snugged in there to plug it while working out the busted sensor.
Anyway, everything but the block has been dealt with at some point. Timing belt, charging system (bout ready for another starter), coolant system. I do have to find an AC leak and/or malfunction and fix that. But overall, she's good. Starts and runs and isn't a noisy wreck.
I wanted to thank everyone here. I've lurked and stolen so much (not a mechanic by any stretch, I'm a teacher) and I could not have done any of this without forums like this where people share. So thank you!
